perspective….

As a youth, I remember thinking how weird happy people were.  I mean, really, can anyone really be that happy? 

And, why were they happy?  I mean, really, people just chose to be happy?  No way.  They must be fakes.

But, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned something, that I can choose the direction of my thought.  I can choose to look at situations and determine which way I want to look things.

Now, I know there is mental illness, depression, social disorder and all of that.  And, I know we all probably have some form of mental illness to varying degrees. 

But, I also know that our happiness is not determined by what’s going on outside our bodies, but inside our brains.   We get to choose our perspective.  We get a chance to get it right.

I remember, as a child, reading Ivory Soap is 99.4% pure.  Today’s newspapers might turn that to say Ivory Soap is .6% tainted.  I choose the pure part as my message.

Sometimes it’s work to be happy, because it’s easy to dismiss others happiness with our own jealousy and bitterness, so we can feel better about ourselves.   

It makes it so we don’t have to invest ourselves.  Sometimes it’s difficult to find the good in a bad situation.  But, we need to train ourselves to do it. 

We need to train ourselves to find the bad as an opportunity for change, for good. 

Yes, we can.  Remember that?

I like to think of my brain as sort of a resort hotel.  When I check in, I get to choose a room.  Do I want the cheaper room with the view of dumbsters (spelling intended), or do I choose the ocean view for a few bucks more?  I’ll take the view.

I know it sounds too simple.  But it’s true.  If I don’t invest in my own life and happiness, who will?